The Complete Dinosaur (Life of the Past)

Praise for the first edition:

"A gift to serious dinosaur enthusiasts" ―Science

"The amount of information in [these] pages is amazing. This book should be on the shelves of dinosaur freaks as well as those who need to know more about the paleobiology of extinct animals. It will be an invaluable library reference." ―American Reference Books Annual

"An excellent encyclopedia that serves as a nice bridge between popular and scholarly dinosaur literature." ―Library Journal (starred review)

"Copiously illustrated and scrupulously up-to-date . . . the book reveals dinos through the fractious fields that make a study of them." ―Publishers Weekly

"Stimulating armchair company for cold winter evenings. . . . Best of all, the book treats dinosaurs as intellectual fun." ―New Scientist

"The book is useful both as a reference and as a browse-and-enjoy compendium." ―Natural History

What do we know about dinosaurs, and how do we know it? How did dinosaurs grow, move, eat, and reproduce? Were they warm-blooded or cold-blooded? How intelligent were they? How are the various groups of dinosaurs related to each other, and to other kinds of living and extinct vertebrates? What can the study of dinosaurs tell us about the process of evolution? And why did typical dinosaurs become extinct? All of these questions, and more, are addressed in the new, expanded, second edition of The Complete Dinosaur. Written by many of the world's leading experts on the "fearfully great" reptiles, the book's 45 chapters cover what we have learned about dinosaurs, from the earliest discoveries of dinosaurs to the most recent controversies. Where scientific contention exists, the editors have let the experts agree to disagree. Copiously illustrated and accessible to all readers from the enthusiastic amateur to the most learned professional paleontologist, The Complete Dinosaur is a feast for serious dinosaur lovers everywhere.

M. K. Brett-Surman is Museum Specialist at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr., is Senior Lecturer and Director, Earth, Life and Time Program, Department of Geology, University of Maryland.

James O. Farlow is Professor of Geology at Indiana University–Purdue University at Ft. Wayne.